


Shatter Me Then Hold My Heart

by LoneWolf_With_Internet



Series: Singer!Victor AU [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Singer, Injured Yuuri, Karaoke, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Rating May Change, Singer AU, Singer!Victor, Skater!Yuuri, Song Lyrics, chapter version of More Than Okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 12:11:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11230683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneWolf_With_Internet/pseuds/LoneWolf_With_Internet
Summary: While on tour, the last thing Victor would have expected during his stop in Japan would be to give a free performance to his fans at a karaoke bar, but what surprised him even more was the cute Japanese skater -- that Victor knows for a fact he's seen before -- the crowd pressured into joining him on stage for a duet. Needless to say, Victor had more fun than he originally anticipated, a fun he hoped would last longer than that one night.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello wonderful people, welcome back! (If you were awaiting this fic that is) This is the chapter version to the one shot I posted in late March called "More Than Okay" (yes, title change! Only because the title didn't apply anymore since the scene after their duet finished is different and this one seems more fitting for the overall story). The first chapters are similar but not identical so if you read the one shot expect similar content until you get to the end of this first chapter. (In all honesty, after editing the one shot to fit this chapter story I like the way it turned out in this version better) 
> 
> Both the one shot and this chapter version where inspired by [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHZXWWlP-DM) video which I highly recommend watching before reading. It is a mashup version of History Maker (using the original and a cover) that takes the whole "it's a duet" thing and makes it a reality. I kept them singing the same lines they were given in the mashup, as well as the extra lines provided by the cover version, which I why I suggest watching this video before reading. 
> 
> Also, I did edit some things about the first chapter, changed a bit of the formatting when they're singing together and changed small minuscule details simply for a better read/better look but nothing really drastic to the story line. (If you read the one shot and would like to give feedback on which format when they're singing looks better please do so! I want it to be a nice, easy read so if one is clearly better than the other I want to keep that format for future use in this story!)
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoy reading this! ^.^

The sky had darkened to fascinating blue hues rather quickly in Victor’s first few hours in Japan. The air had chilled and begun to bite at his vulnerable skin, though Victor didn't mind of course, he was bred for cold weather. However, it didn't stop him from sighing longingly at the thought of exploring the new country, now only a dream he’d have to wait to achieve in the future. He didn't have many free days after all, and he had spent one of the rare days traveling to his current destination. Perks of being on tour, he figured. 

 

Victor meandered throughout the smaller town he was visiting, enjoying what sights he could with the sky being dark. He’d been so lost in thought -- too indulged in the beautiful scenery that seemed could only come from a postcard -- that he wasn’t sure how he ended up sitting alone at a small table in the back of a karaoke bar while watching strangers try and imitate his music. But here he was. 

 

_ How embarrassing, _ Victor thought to himself as he sipped at a glass of water a kind waitress had handed him,  _ to come here on a night dedicated to me.  _ The karaoke bar was in fact hosting a “Victor themed” night, all participants choosing a song of his to embarrass themselves with. Perhaps to celebrate him finally coming to their country after years of touring, perhaps to welcome him with open arms. Whatever the case, Victor could only smile as he listened to his fans sing along to his pieces, whether they turned out good or bad. He was honored either way.

 

For hours on end -- at least it seemed like it had been that long -- Victor observed the stage with enthusiasm, watching many people come and go, sometimes more than once. He'd been given multiple glasses of water as well, though he didn't ask for a single one of them. The waitress probably knew who he was, his refusal to wear a ridiculous disguise paying off if it meant free drinks; he'd need to keep his voice well-kept after all for his show the following day. But all fun must come to an end at some point, and Victor was considering making his way back to his hotel to get a good rest, but then the microphone was taken for words that weren’t being sung and his curiosity got the better of him, forcing him to sit back down and find out what was going on. 

 

“Pardon, may I have your attention please? Hello?” If Victor wasn’t sure if anyone had noticed him before, he surely was aware of the fact now, being over 100% sure the obviously Japanese woman standing at the microphone was speaking in English for his benefit. English was his only other fluent language besides Russian after all, and all of his fans knew he was learning new languages best he could to interact with a wider audience. Of course, he started with one of the most spoken languages to achieve that. Though, while the language shift was in favor to him, the woman hadn’t looked his direction… at least not yet. 

 

“I want to thank all of you for coming out tonight to join the fun and for making this night a successful turnout. I’m sure most of you are excited to finally be able to attend one of Victor’s concerts in your hometown.” The woman at the microphone smiled when she earned an uproar of agreement, the rise of her cheeks only bringing more attention to her already narrow face, her eyes dark but lit with a warm light as she scanned the crowd, coming to rest on one individual in particular for longer than necessary but before Victor got a chance to investigate, the woman -- “Minako” according to the nameplate she adorned on on her chest -- tore her gaze away to smile at the rest of the audience. 

 

“However, before this night officially comes to an end, I’d like to challenge the man himself to stop watching and get up here for a preview of what it’s like to see him live, eh?” The soft smile of appreciation Minako wore turned into a devious smirk as her eyes shifted towards the back of the room where Victor had been hiding most of the night, all eyes following the other’s gaze in a split moment of shocked silence. It didn’t last long, however, and when everyone else became aware of Victor’s presence another excited uproar ensued. 

 

Victor could only blush for a good minute, kindly waving to everyone else in greeting, and even though his eyes were dancing across the room to catch each of his excited fans’ faces, he could tell the woman on stage was beaming proudly, not the least bit regretful for what she had just done. Victor didn’t mind, however, slowly standing up and walking up the steps to the stage, his hand continuing to wave every now and then to keep his fans at bay. 

 

Once he had climbed up the steps to the small stage, Victor sent out a soft, kind smile to the crowd below, a few of his fans upfront responding a bit too enthusiastically for a simple smile, but that only urged him on, sending a wink their direction as well. Victor nearly laughed in amusement when the excited screams grew in volume but instead he grabbed the microphone and spoke for possibly the first time since he landed in Japan, other than when he told his manager he was running off of course. 

 

“Konnichiwa,  _ moya lyubov _ .” Victor greeted the people in the building in two different languages, glad he could at least say such a simple greeting in Japanese. But it seemed like his attempt to converse in his fans’ native language was overlooked considering most of his fans seemed to be more excited about the fact that they got to hear Victor speak Russian in person. He wasn’t dumbfounded or anything at the fact that two simple Russian words triggered such a large response, it seemed to happen anywhere he went, so by now his instinctive response was to simply smile and wait until the chaos died down enough for him to speak again, this time in English; at least that’s what he had planned. Unfortunately, the woman who had pointed out his presence in the first place took the microphone back into her own hands before Victor got the chance to say another word, quieting down the crowd with hand motions Victor himself had often used when he had to continue a show and the crowd grew too rowdy. 

 

“Now that the man himself has appeared on stage, how about another twist to end the night on?” Once again, the crowd’s enthusiastic response filled Victor’s ears and his curiosity only grew as to what else could’ve made this last performance even more exciting. Silver brows furrowed atop blue eyes in wonderment, Victor patiently waiting to hear the twist ending the crowd was so obviously excited to hear. 

 

“How about,” the woman standing beside Victor smiled kindly, though he knew it was more than likely to hide the devilish look in her eyes as she scanned the crowd, possibly looking for something specific, but Victor remained clueless as to what it could be when the next words rang in his ears. “A duet?” 

 

Victor couldn’t help the surprised look that crossed his face at the request, and by the sounds of the crowd no one else had been expecting it either. He was intrigued and so many questions came to mind. Who would he sing with? How would his duet partner be chosen? Do they even have duet versions of his songs? He’d never publicly released any, but he did have a few songs in the works to be converted into a duet version as a surprise one day at a concert. 

 

“‘But who will get to sing with Victor?’ I can already hear you guys asking,” Minako seemed to have read not only Victor’s mind but the entire audience’s as well, though before the woman could actually continue her thought, a smaller, darker skinned man -- boy? -- running the sound and light system spoke up, his tone excited and not as devious as the others’ yet far quieter. Perhaps he only meant for Minako to hear it -- and by extension Victor, having been standing close enough -- his somewhat hushed tone giving away that their conversation was meant to be more private than screaming into the microphone. 

 

“What about Yuuri? He usually loves to come up here when he’s down but he hasn’t come up to sing all night!” A bright and friendly smile crossed the darker male’s features, his eyes beaming with joy -- and a little bit of something else that Victor couldn’t place -- and by the way he looked towards Minako, and the look he received in return, it seemed the two had had similar thoughts. 

 

“That’s a good idea, Phichit.” A soft smile reappeared on the woman’s face, though was quickly covered up by the microphone as she turned to face the audience once again, eyes already searching the crowd for a certain someone like they had been before, and Victor found himself looking through the crowd as well, more out of curiosity than anything. He didn’t exactly know who or what she was looking for, so his eyes hadn’t settled on anything until a bright spotlight shone on a table towards the back, opposite of the side Victor had previously been sitting at. 

 

At first, the man the spotlight had been cast upon hadn’t noticed, his head downcast and face buried in a book. Black tufts of hair fell loosely over his eyes and framed his face, only refraining from actually getting into his eyes by the blue glasses perched on his nose. He was rather far away from where Victor stood, yet Victor could still clearly see how the light reflected off his gorgeous brown eyes, something other than the light gleaming on the surface. 

 

It took a moment, but eventually the man at the table lifted his head in confusion, possibly not paying much attention as to what was currently going on; nonetheless, he still blushed uncontrollably when he was met with hundreds of eyes settled on his frame. He stuttered cutely and glanced around in panic for a few brief moments until his eyes accidentally met Victor’s gaze, which only seemed to darken the red hue already accompanying his cheeks. Victor’s breath hitched when he got a clear shot of the man’s face, but he quickly brushed it off and replaced it with a smile, his hand beckoning the man forward while his mind went elsewhere, more specifically on who he was calling forward. 

 

_ Yuuri, huh? _ Victor knew why it sounded familiar, he’d known the moment his turquoise eyes saw the darker blue frame of the other’s glasses, or the hair that contradicted his own silver hair with a black hue as dark as midnight, or the soft brown eyes that seemed to be sparkling all the way across the room. Victor had seen this man before, and he’d never forget it either. The first time he saw the other glide across the ice, the first jump he saw live, the first time he’d seen someone look so happy on the ice only to look so shut down and cut off from the rest of the world once his performance ended. But those weren’t the only reasons Victor remembered the skater so vividly for someone that’s known for being forgetful.

 

The skater’s performance was a cry for help, and it hurt Victor to watch at the time, which had only been the previous year. It felt so long ago, yet not long enough to allow the skater time to receive help. Victor was sure of this. He’d experienced a low point at one time himself. Even though he didn’t know the person, he saw the signs. He wanted to help. 

 

In simply the blink of an eye, the darker skinned male that had been operating the sound system -- Phichit perhaps, if Victor was remembering correctly -- was at the skater’s side, smiling brightly in encouragement. All Victor could hear was the soft call of the name, “Yuuri,” before the more tan of the two began speaking in a language Victor couldn't understand or even hardly hear from where he stood. It didn’t sound too similar to the Japanese he’d been hearing the past few hours, so Victor assumed it was some other foreign language. Perhaps to have a more private exchange in a public space, though Victor would never know. 

 

Another moment passed as the two exchanged words, Yuuri gaining a soft blush that even Victor could see from where he stood on stage as his friend continued to smile beside him. Seconds, minutes, hours, Victor didn't even know how much time had passed before Phichit let out a rather excited squeal as he stood up and took a step back from where Yuuri sat, allowing the skater to stand up from his chair. Though it was a simple task, Victor couldn't help but catch the small grimace that crossed Yuuri’s face for only a split second, noticing how he held the table for support as he tried to steady his wobbly stance, but most importantly Victor noticed the black contraption wrapped around Yuuri’s right leg.  _ A skater wearing a leg brace. That wasn’t a good sign.  _

 

While Victor was preoccupied assessing the damage that had been done, he almost failed to notice the soft limp as the skater walked towards the stage -- Yuuri leaving behind his crutches for a reason Victor wouldn’t understand -- a pang of sadness spreading out from his chest despite not personally knowing the other. It was only a moment, but he couldn't keep the sympathetic look off his face as his blue eyes followed the figure that continued to grow nearer; however, he was eventually able to wipe it off and replace it with a smile as Yuuri carefully climbed the steps up to the stage. 

 

Now that the two were in a closer vicinity together, Victor could clearly see how deep the blush Yuuri wore really was, which, in turn, caused a soft smile to cross Victor’s features once more as he extended a hand towards the skater in greeting. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you, _ ”  _ Victor greeted his duet partner, waiting patiently for the other to take his offered hand and shake it. It took some time, Yuuri staring down at his hand almost in disbelief for a good long while before he hesitantly reached out to grasp it, only nodding in response -- he must’ve been shy if Victor had to take a guess. 

 

They had only held the contact for a fraction of a second before Phichit was at Yuuri’s side again, drawing the skater’s attention away from Victor to look his direction. Phichit was smiling yet again, this time motioning for Yuuri to take a seat on the stool he’d brought out so his friend wouldn’t have to stand the entire time. Yuuri blushed once more and quickly pulled his hand from Victor’s grasp, whispering a soft phrase of gratitude to his friend in Japanese as he sat down on the wooden stool, facing Victor but keeping his head down as if to avoid being looked at. 

 

Now that their hands were no longer touching, Yuuri opted for staring at the floor rather than anywhere else, a soft blush remaining on his cheeks though it  _ had _ died down a considerably large amount from when he originally brushed Victor’s fingers. Phichit was soon gone from the stage, leaving Victor alone with the skater, blue eyes staring at the wonder before them even if Victor himself hadn’t realized what he was doing. It was only when Minako spoke up again that Victor looked away, unaware of Yuuri taking the chance to glance at him in return, now not having to deal with being caught. 

 

“Well, now that we have our couple -- I’m sorry -- duet partners,” Victor swore he could hear Yuuri huff in annoyance beside him, along with the quiet snickers of his friend that was now back at the sound system, but Victor didn’t mind, simply listening in curiosity as the woman continued, “all we need is a song, correct? Any suggestions?” 

 

It took no time at all for the room to fill with excited shouts of different song titles, Minako and Phichit glancing around the room to gauge the audience’s reaction, Victor feeling both curious and anxious. He didn’t want to influence their decision, he genuinely wanted to know what his fans wanted. He always performed for their enjoyment, of course, and this was no different than his concerts -- which he typically let the fans run the playlist and pick the songs they loved best. However, it seemed his fans didn’t have a say either, because before they really got a good poll a sharp and unexpected sound rang through the speakers, playing the beginning of the song Phichit decided and Victor couldn’t help but smile when he heard the song that was chosen. 

 

It was one of his more recent songs, yet in such a short time it had already managed to become one of his most successful ones. It was in English, which he believed helped its success since it reached a broader audience, but that also concerned him. He was in Japan after all, and though English was learned by the majority as practically the universal language, some still chose to opt out of learning it. 

 

While the beginning instrumental played through, Victor couldn’t help but glance towards Yuuri in worry, not knowing if the clearly Japanese man even knew English, but he didn’t get the chance to contemplate for too long, Minako shoving a microphone into his hands just before the instrumental ended and the lyrics began. When the time came, Victor flashed a smile out towards the crowd and brought the microphone he was given up to his lips and sang. 

 

_ “Can you hear my heartbeat?”  _

 

The starting words were soft and quiet, the way Victor always sang the lyrics, as they did have a purpose after all, and the gentle tone continued for the entire first verse. 

 

_ “I’m tired of feeling I’m never enough, I-”  _

 

Victor chanced another glance towards Yuuri, thinking back to when he’d been inspired to write this song in the first place, his heart aching just a bit with the memory. 

 

_ “Close my eyes and tell myself that my dreams will come true.”  _

 

It was the end of the first verse, and Victor still had no clue how this duet would work. It wasn’t as if he’d released a duet version yet, though he had been working with someone the past few weeks to develop one for his last performance of his tour. No one had heard the finished product though, and that mixed with the fact that he was unsure Yuuri even knew English made him wonder even more how exactly this would play out. However, once again there wasn’t much time to contemplate before Victor, a man who loved to surprise people, received a surprise of his own. 

 

_ “There’ll be no more darkness when you believe in yourself you are unstoppable.”  _

 

Victor gaped at the Japanese man sitting just in front of him, his head looking down towards the floor and the microphone a few inches too far away from his face as if he didn’t want it to pick up his words. For one, he wasn’t expecting the English to sound so well developed and nearly perfect, if only for the small accent that dripped into the words here and then, which lead to the second reason his jaw had nearly dropped open when his partner began to sing: his voice was beautiful, silky and smooth and surprisingly deeper than Victor would've expected. It didn’t sound like he’d simply memorized the sound of the English lyrics either, but that he had learned English years ago and learned to speak it the proper way, though, again, he did have that cute accent that made it all the better to listen to. 

 

_ “Where your destiny lies, dancing on the blades you set my heart on fire.”  _

 

There was the softest tint of pink that laced Yuuri’s cheeks as he dared to lift his head and glance at Victor, finding his brown eyes meeting Victor’s own blue ones, which in turn only darkened the blush he wore. He still seemed shy, however, so before another word was uttered Victor sent him a soft smile of encouragement, the Russian bringing the microphone back up to his face yet never breaking the gaze he held with Yuuri, almost urging him to continue the song, but this time as a pair. And he did, yet again to Victor’s surprise. 

 

_ “Don’t stop us now, the moment of truth, we were born to make history.”  _

 

Victor couldn’t help the heart shaped smile that began to slowly overtake his facial features, finding that their voices blended well together, creating a wonderful harmony that echoed throughout the room. A warmth spread throughout Victor’s chest, not exactly knowing what it was but he deemed it due to the way their voices fit so perfectly together, like they were made for each other, each made only to complement their partner. Victor noticed how his counterpart was smiling as well, if only the smallest bit and hidden beneath a blush, but it was still there, and Victor could feel the warmth spreading through his chest and out to his arms and the rest of his body as they continued. 

 

_ “We’ll make it happen, we’ll turn it around, yes we were born to make history.”  _

 

By this point, both men couldn’t take their eyes off of each other, blue eyes capturing the gaze of brown ones and never letting go. In return, the brown pools of warmth sparkled almost invitingly, wanting the blue orbs to be fixed on them alone and not on any of their other surroundings. The music continued and still neither looked away, and somewhere along the way Yuuri must’ve been too captivated by the icy blue eyes to remember where they were or what they were doing because, much to Victor’s dismay, he sang the next line alone. 

 

_ “We were born to make history.”  _

 

As if by magic, or simply Victor’s voice and the hint of sadness in his blue eyes, Yuuri jumped the smallest bit once that line was finished, snapping out of his daze to rejoin his partner once more, this time a larger, less shy smile spreading across his lips. 

 

_ “Yes we were born to make history.”  _

 

Now it was Victor’s turn to get lost in the staring contest, his eyes focused on the beautifully reddish-brown orbs before him while his ears were trained on the smooth voice ringing out through the speakers. Victor found himself lost in time, his hand nearly falling away from his face, all of his attention focused on the man sitting in front of him. Victor lost his grip on reality, if only for the shortest amount of time, but he wasn’t sure he regretted it since it ended with him once again hearing Yuuri’s voice, this time alone and without Victor’s to distract from the beauty that it was. 

 

_ “Don’t stop us now, the moment of truth.”  _

 

The small, shy smile Yuuri gave would eventually be the death of him, Victor quickly came to realize. It was kind and didn’t spread too far across his face -- unlike Victor’s own “heart smile,” as many nicknamed it, which took up the entire bottom half of his face. No, Yuuri’s smile was polite, as if he felt obligated to show it in such a situation, yet barely a minute into the song the smile morphed into something more affectionate, something more genuine, something more real and that alone made Victor’s heart melt, but he quickly came to his senses and rejoined his partner in their dance of words, possibly as his smile was urging him to do. 

 

_ “We were born to make history. We’ll make it happen, we’ll turn it around, yes we were born to make history.”  _

 

The lyrics momentarily came to a halt, allowing another instrumental to ring through the speakers and fill the room with an upbeat tune. The small break the singers were given wasn’t wasted, both men taking part in the improvised duet staring intently at each other as if they were the only ones in the room and there was no audience beneath them capturing photos and recording videos -- and no doubt uploading them to multiple media platforms of course. Their breathing was slightly more strained than usual, the singing taking their breath away, but it was only a slight change. Neither seemed to care about the small fact anyway, seemingly too lost in their counterpart to realize there was such a thing called “reality”. 

 

The short instrumental wasn’t nearly enough time for Victor to fully take in the sight of the man sitting before him, to soak up all his features as he had done when he first saw him skate. Victor was getting ready to sing once again, barely beginning the movement of bringing the microphone back up to his face -- having let his hand drop after their last shared line -- before Yuuri surprised him yet again. 

 

Though the skater was obviously supposed to be sitting down, as to not put weight on his injured leg, Victor’s eyes widened the smallest amount as he watched Yuuri quickly push himself up from the stool and take a shaky step towards Victor, his movements in sync with the lyrics that started up again. 

 

_ “Can you hear my heartbeat?”  _

 

Yuuri’s leg shook when he took the risky step forward, practically tripping over air and staggering forward, placing a hand out in front of him to stop from crashing into Victor entirely. His blush was dark from the embarrassing mistake alone, but it only seemed to darken when he realized he had placed his hand flat on Victor’s chest, straight over his heart. If that wasn’t bad enough for his blush, when Victor had seen Yuuri stumble over his footing he reached out to help stop him from crashing into something, be it himself or the floor. His hand now rested lightly on Yuuri’s waist, but it seemed only Yuuri realized the rather intimate pose the two adopted on accident, but that didn’t stop him from continuing the song, even if he had looked down towards the floor to avoid Victor’s gaze. 

 

_ “I’ve got a feeling it’s never too late I-”  _

 

From such a close distance, Victor could hear the quiet sound of Yuuri taking in a breath of air, though it sounded closer to a breath of reassurance than a breath to replenish his oxygen. Despite Victor trying to look down at the reddish-brown eyes he’d come to adore in such a short span of time, Yuuri tilted his head down even further and cast his gaze towards the floor, looking almost embarrassed from Victor’s perspective; however, no matter how embarrassed he seemed to be -- whether it be his ever growing blush or averted gaze -- Yuuri never moved his hand from where it rested on Victor’s chest, and in turn Victor kept his hand lightly ghosting over the other’s waist as the song progressed. 

 

_ “Close my eyes and-”  _

 

Yuuri’s voice held the smallest tremor as he sang, hardly noticeable to Victor himself so perhaps the crowd didn’t catch it, but Victor could definitely feel how Yuuri’s hand morphed from being casually splayed across his chest to clenching into a fist, holding tight to Victor’s clothing as if he’d fade away otherwise as the words continued to fall from his mouth. 

 

_ “See myself how my dreams will come true.”  _

 

Victor couldn’t help but gape at his duet partner once again, not expecting to witness the skater evolve from shy and timid to courageous and daring only to devolve back to where he had started. It was interesting to say the least, watching Yuuri’s emotions and confidence fluctuate so easily and so dramatically, but each time his confidence dropped far below a normal level it hurt Victor to watch, and he didn't have a clue as to how to help. So, he did what he was most known for: he followed his instincts and let his heart guide him. 

 

In one swift movement, Victor removed his hand from the other’s waist in favor of lightly brushing the back of his fingers across Yuuri’s reddened cheeks, letting his fingers linger on the soft skin for some time before gently pushing up on Yuuri’s chin from beneath to lift his head. Their eyes met once more and Victor couldn’t help but gaze into the brown orbs in a trance, a soft smile crossing his lips as he fell deeper into the sparkling warmth the soft brown color provided. This time, as he continued the song, Victor made sure Yuuri didn't look away, his fingers gently holding Yuuri’s head in place. 

 

_ “There’ll be no more darkness when you believe in-”  _

 

Victor’s eyes fell down to where his thumb hovered over Yuuri’s cheek, memories of the first time he saw the skater playing back in his head. He remembered the pain he saw in Yuuri’s eyes as he skated, how feigned his smile for the crowd was when he finished his program, how when Victor had caught a glimpse of him leaving the building after the event he looked so… lost, so helpless. But most of all, Victor remembered how he wanted to run up to Yuuri, to engulf him in a reassuring hug and tell him everything would be alright, to tell him these exact lines he was currently singing. 

 

Victor’s thumb seemed to move on its own, gravitating closer to Yuuri’s cheek until it was but a soft touch, a gentle press into his skin, all happening under Victor’s own gaze. The touch itself caused a soft red to bloom where their skin met, the color spreading farther the longer the contact was held, dusting Yuuri’s cheek in a fashion Victor had witnessed countless times that night. 

 

For a moment, all Victor could do was stare at the interaction, his thumb unmoving; until suddenly it was. It was almost a timid movement, a gentle caress if Victor had to give a name to it, his thumb ever so lightly ghosting over the skin of Yuuri’s reddened cheek. Victor didn’t care to put an end to this new advancement, and since Yuuri had yet to pull away he decided it was safe to continue his actions, even as more words fell from his mouth. 

 

_ “Yourself you are unstoppable.”  _

 

Victor’s eyes shifted away from where he caressed Yuuri’s cheek, icy blue meeting warm brown for the umpteenth time in only the past two minutes, and like every time before, Victor made a point to grab Yuuri’s attention. He wanted the skater to know the words were meant for him, that Victor had molded this entire piece in his honor. He wanted the words to reach Yuuri, since he wasn’t too sure they had before tonight. 

 

_ “Where your destiny lies-”  _

 

The softest smile crossed Victor’s lips as he sang, taking a breath too long to get onto the next phrase, too engrossed with staring at the beauty before him -- the beauty that refused to look in the mirror and revel in how spectacular he was, but a beauty nonetheless. Once again, Victor’s thumb had a mind of its own as it slowly travelled down Yuuri’s red-tinted cheek, making its way down his jawline until it rested on his chin, merely half an inch away from touching his lips. 

 

Though Victor’s eyes fixed their gaze upon Yuuri’s lips -- something Victor either hadn‘t come to realize yet or had no shame in staring -- the way Yuuri’s blush had darkened like countless times before was in no way able to be hidden from Victor, whose smile grew once he caught sight of it, blue eyes travelling back up to catch the gaze of their counterpart. 

 

_ “Dancing on the blades you set my heart on fire.”  _

 

Victor could feel Yuuri’s breath hitch with their close proximity, silently hoping the message of his song had finally sunk into the skater’s head. Victor took a moment to search the brown pools he’d been drawn to like a moth to a flame, looking for a reaction, something to tell him Yuuri understood. Instead, it was the smile Yuuri gave him in return, the way it reached from one eye to the other, accompanied by the small amount of extra moisture that lined the bottom of Yuuri’s eyes. Before he knew it, Yuuri was bringing the microphone he held in his own hand back up to meet his lips, his smile never wavering as he poured his heart into the rest of the song. 

 

_ “Don’t stop us now, the moment of truth, we were born to make history. We’ll make it happen, we’ll turn it around, we were born to make history.”  _

 

The longer the pair stood there, Yuuri still partially wrapped up in Victor’s arms, the more Yuuri seemed to fill with life and joy. As the pair continued their dance of words, neither could tear their eyes away from the other. Yuuri’s smile only beaming brighter and Victor’s eyes and heart filled with an emotion he’d never felt before, therefore, not being able to give a name to it. He’d dwell on the thought later, but for now all he wanted to do was stare into those brown orbs he’d fallen for and listen to his partner’s voice fill the room. 

 

When the chorus planned to repeat, Victor decided to break apart from his partner. Not physically, but verbally. As his earlier thoughts resurfaced, Victor remembered wanting to make a small change to the lyrics for the duet version, though, as they weren’t that far into the revision of it, he had yet to see how well it turned out. 

 

Through the bliss these past few minutes gave him, his head wasn’t clear enough to think before making a decision, but he assumed it would be fine. He was known for making impulsive decisions simply to surprise his audience. That trait would never change, so he used it once again, his words straying away from the original lyrics when the chorus repeated. 

 

_ “You don’t give your heart in pieces.”  _

 

Yuuri’s surprise was evident on his face, his lips parting ever so slightly in shock as he fumbled over his words for a split second. Victor could only smirk at the response he received, his hand moving from cupping Yuuri’s jaw to resting on the nape of his neck, his fingers gently brushing over the soft strands of hair that fell from Yuuri’s neck. It was a move of encouragement, a silent plea for Yuuri to simply trust him and go on as normal. 

 

Luckily, Yuuri seemed to get the message and quickly recovered from his initial shock, continuing the song with the original lyrics; however, he did give Victor a confused look, silently asking what he was planning. Instead of receiving an answer, Victor only moved forward, his hand pulling Yuuri’s head to meet him halfway until their foreheads rested against one another. 

 

Yuuri’s never ending blush happily reappeared with the action, but Victor brushed it off in favor of letting his eyes gaze into the brown ones in front of him. He had the same intentions as before, of capturing Yuuri’s attention and never letting go, his words far too important to let that happen. They needed to be heard. 

 

_ “Please don’t hide yourself to tease us.”   _

 

After that single line, Victor let his eyes gently fall shut, missing Yuuri’s reaction visually, yet able to feel the way his body tensed up. He assumed it was due to their closeness, perhaps it made the other uncomfortable. It made sense in his head, Victor had always been a rather touchy person, so, with great reluctance, Victor pulled away enough to where their faces were a good few inches apart, opening his eyes along the way. It was only then that he caught sight of the single tear that trailed Yuuri’s cheek, luckily falling on the side the audience couldn’t see. Victor couldn’t help but frown slightly at the sight, untangling his hand from Yuuri’s hair and bringing it back to his cheek, his fingers gently resting beneath his chin as his thumb carefully wiped the tear away. 

 

The rest of the song flew by in a hazy blur, the pair never changing their position from where it had settled into after Victor’s deviation from the lyrics. They sang perfectly together, their voices melding in a way Victor had only heard in his dreams. Blue eyes never stopped gazing into brown ones and vise versa, the duo too lost in of themselves to look elsewhere. 

 

As the song neared its end, Victor simply let his hand fall to his side, the microphone no longer near his lips so he could fully indulge in listening to Yuuri. His voice was heaven and each word he sang rolled off his tongue like honey. Victor could spend hours listening to the other sing.

 

_ “Yes we were born to make history.”  _

 

Yuuri sang the very last line of the song with a smile tugging at his lips, the shyness from the beginning long faded away and forgotten. Victor would like to think it was because of him, liked to think it was because Yuuri genuinely liked the outcome of the karaoke owner’s charades, perhaps he would never find out. 

 

The song faded out of existence only to be replaced with the roar of the audience, with flashing lights from cameras and excited shouts. Victor tuned all of it out, rather focusing his attention on the man standing before him, partially wrapped up in his arms -- or rather one arm to be accurate. Both men were panting now that the song had long finished, a smile playing on both set of lips. 

 

Even after the music diminished and left nothing in its wake, blue was still holding onto brown as if breaking the connection would end in something disastrous. Neither knew how long they stood there, unaware of the plentiful amount of pictures and videos being taken increasing the longer they stood on stage, nor did they care. Victor had found himself infatuated with the boy he held, too afraid to let go in fear of being left behind or forgotten. 

 

Victor had met countless people in his life thanks to his career, all coming and going in an instant, none staying long enough to be more than just a distant memory. This time, however, Victor wouldn’t make that same mistake. He wanted to hold onto this man, the skater he’d seen what now feels like ages ago. Hold on and never let go because, even with all the places he’d been and all the things he’d done, he’d never had this much fun in his life. 

 

He just had to do something about it. 

 

Sadly, before he even got the chance to pry his mouth open and form words, Victor’s thoughts were broken by a vibration in his pocket and a familiar ring tone floating up to reach his ears. A soft blush crept upon Victor’s cheeks in embarrassment as he mumbled a quiet apology; though, instead of pulling away like he should have Victor lingered for just a moment longer, staring into the warm brown eyes he’d come to adore and cherishing the warmth that radiated between them. Only then did he reluctantly pull away, casting Yuuri one last sorrowful glance before turning around and walking a good distance away. 

 

Victor found himself standing a little away from the stage, tucked into a corner that was partially hidden from the rest of the room as he held the phone to his ear. His manager had been the one to call and ruin the moment, and his manager sounded fairly angry when he answered the phone. Victor used as cheerful a voice he could manage after such a magical moment being interrupted, hoping he wouldn’t be in for a lecture once he answered the call. 

 

“Yakov!  _ Kak dela _ _?”  _

 

“Vitya… _ Gde ty _ _?”  _ Victor internally cringed when he heard how distressed his manager sounded, ignoring Victor’s chirpy greeting and getting straight into the meat of the subject. 

 

_ “ _ _ Karaoke bar _ _.”  _ On the other end of the line, Victor could hear the quiet huff of annoyance that left Yakov’s mouth at Victor’s antics. 

 

_ “Vernis', tebe nuzhno otdokhnut'.”  _

 

_ “No mne bylo veselo!”  _ Victor’s voice came out a little more whiny than usual, something that shocked even Victor himself yet all the same he was expecting it. He was having fun after all, and, much to his dismay, Yakov had been the one to wedge him apart from Yuuri. 

 

_ “Vitya…”  _ On the other end of the call, Yakov cut himself off with a heavy sigh and Victor could only imagine the man was rubbing at his temples like he frequently did. It always made Victor feel guilty for being so difficult, so with great reluctance, Victor let out his own quieter sigh and backed down. 

 

_ “Khorosho ya vernus'.”  _

 

_ “Potoropis'.”  _ With no additional words uttered between the two, Yakov ended the call there, leaving Victor to pout to himself as he stared at the screen where Yakov’s contact was on display. 

 

A second passed before Victor turned off and pocketed his phone, taking an additional second to will the sadness away for having to leave and place another smile on his face. He may have been upset for having to leave, yes, but he wouldn’t stay like that for long, he couldn’t when he would get to talk to Yuuri again, perhaps ask for his number so they could stretch beyond just that night. 

 

With his heart light and his eyes shining, Victor turned to head back to the stage only to stop mid step when he found it to be empty. The stool had still been there, yet Yuuri was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like forever that Victor stood in the corner staring up at the blank stage, as if Yuuri would magically appear if he searched hard enough. But he didn’t. 

 

In a sense of hope Victor tore his eyes away from the stage and glanced towards where Yuuri had been sitting before being called up to sing, only to find it cleaned and organized, the book not lying on the table where it had been set down earlier and the crutches no longer propped up against a chair. Yuuri was gone, without even saying goodbye. 

 

And Victor’s heart shattered.  


	2. Chapter 2

**_Figure Skating Champion Katsuki Yuuri’s Secret Talent?_ **

By: Nagai Renzo

Posted: 5 hours ago

2,937 comments

 

_ As most know, beloved skater Katsuki Yuuri, Japan’s Ace, had suffered a severe knee injury just recently that put his career on hiatus. Since the announcement that Katsuki would be taking the next season off to recover, the skater had rarely been seen in public. The most common assumption has been that Katsuki prefers to stay indoors while he is in the process of healing, as using the damaged limb could worsen his condition; that’s why it was such a surprise to locals when Phichit Chulanont, Katsuki’s rink mate when he trained in Detroit who is currently visiting Katsuki between competitions, revealed to Minako’s karaoke bar last night while filling in for the sick DJ that Katsuki was sitting amongst the crowd. “But why would Phichit do that” some of you might ask.  _

 

_ The official story that has circulated around was this: Minako, the karaoke bar’s owner, decided to have a themed night to celebrate the arrival of Victor Nikiforov, popular solo artist currently on a world tour. As it turns out, Victor himself happened to be in the crowd as well, spotted by only a handful of workers as he sat towards the back, hidden in the shadows. Before the bar would close and Victor could return to whichever hotel he chose to reside in, Minako herself took matters into her own hands and challenged Victor to come out of hiding and give a small performance for her patrons. With no visible reluctance, Nikiforov gladly accepted the challenge and took to the stage. What he hadn't been told, however, was that Minako had other plans and what should've been a simple performance turned into so much more.  _

 

_ Instead of singing alone, like most would have assumed, Nikiforov was pushed into performing a duet with a random patron residing in the audience at the time; or was it really a random selection? According to some locals that attended the karaoke bar that night, Katsuki, who was said to be sitting in the back as well -- opposite of Nikiforov -- was called up to the stage after a brief discussion between Phichit and Minako about Nikiforov’s potential duet partner. It took some coaxing from his friend before Katsuki agreed, but from we can tell it may have been the best decision he’s made to date. If all the photos taken and the  _ _ video _ _ uploaded to Phichit’s Instagram truly captured the aura of that night, this may be the beginning to a far more interesting tale that we hope to unravel soon.   _

 

* * *

Victor excitedly scrolled through the entirety of the article while clad in nothing but the hotel sheets and a pair of boxers, and even then he was hardly covered since the blanket he used the night before had ended up balled up at the foot of the bed in his sleep. Figures that the first thing Victor would do when he awoke, even though it was barely 6 in the morning -- Victor always had been an early riser -- was reach for his phone. 

 

It was habit by now, nothing too shocking. What did shock him was the article trending across a myriad of social media sites, which he had been tagged to several times across all those he had an account for. And most of those tags came from his friend Chris, along with quite a few texts that Victor had yet to read. 

 

Taking a short break from scrolling through the many new posts on his feed and the endless notifications Victor tossed his phone aside, after leaving some love on a few posts of course, and removed himself from his bed. Stretching his arms above his head to knead out some of the tension that built up in his sleep, the satisfying  _ crack  _ of a few joints filled the room and Victor let his arms down with a relaxed sigh. He planned to take a shower before having to fulfill his duties for the day, but Victor barely managed to get two steps away from the bed before his ringtone filled the air and assaulted his ears. 

 

He muted the groan that wanted to escape his mouth, wanting nothing more than to take a relaxing hot shower, but he couldn’t simply ignore whoever decided to call him in case it happened to be a sponsor. So, with quite a bit of reluctance, Victor flopped back onto his bed in order to reach his phone from where it had landed, not even bothering to check the caller ID before he answered. 

 

“Hello?” 

 

“Victor!” Said man heard his over enthusiastic friend Chris greet him on the other end, a smile grazing Victor’s lips when he heard the familiar voice. 

 

“Chris! And to what do I owe the pleasure~” Usually whenever the pair spoke their conversations were full of platonic flirting and casual teasing, but today Victor could tell something was off, he could almost hear the frown in his friend’s voice when he spoke up once again. 

 

“Victor, don’t think you can wake up, like the articles  _ I  _ tagged you in, then pick up the phone and act like nothing happened last night.” 

 

“Last night?” Victor hummed in thought as he let his mind wander back to the previous night. He didn’t see why it was so important for Chris to call the moment he was given a sign that Victor was awake, it was only a silly duet he was dragged into. Sure, his heart still fluttered at the memories of Yuuri’s eyes staring into his own, and maybe he could still feel the now fading burning sensations where their skin touched, and so what if the image of Yuuri smiling only made him blush and smile to himself in the quiet of the hotel room… 

 

“Victor!” Chris’ sharp and slightly irritated tone brought him back to reality, eliciting a small jump from him in the process but the other didn’t need to know that. 

 

“Hm, yes, what?” Victor could practically hear his friend’s frown deepen with his response, gnawing on his lip in anticipation of what the next words would be, only to get one in response. 

 

“Explain.” Now it was Victor’s turn to frown, accompanying his with a deep sigh as he rolled over to lie on his back. Blue eyes stared up at the ceiling in contemplation, the room falling silent as Chris waited and Victor refused to speak up. It took a few minutes before he said anything, needing some time to get his thoughts sorted out; however, the moment he opened his mouth all plans of what to say were thrown out the window. 

 

“Chris, I think I’m in love.” Not even a second passed before Victor could hear the quiet sigh on the other end of the line, causing him to purse his lips in worry for what would come. It fell quiet again, Victor worrying his bottom lip as his eyes traced random patterns on the ceiling as he simply waited. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait too long. 

 

“You only  _ really _ met last night, didn’t you?” Even with the static affecting Chris’ voice, Victor could still hear the hesitation loud and clear, which only made him worry more that Chris wasn’t already on his side telling him to chase down the beautiful skater that had enchanted him. 

 

“Well, yes but-” 

 

“Victor, no  _ but _ , just think about it for a good minute before you jump into anything.” A small pout made its way to Victor’s lips, erasing any trace of joy he may have felt when he originally read through the articles and scrolled through the pictures. 

 

“But Chris.” Victor’s next words came out as more of a whine than anything else as he pushed loose strands of hair from his face, the ends tickling his nose and bringing him close to sneezing. 

 

“Did you watch the video?” He asked after a moment of silence, receiving a hum of acknowledgement from his friend, a silent push for him to continue and get to the point already. 

 

“And you saw the photos?” 

 

“The multitude that have crossed my dashboard? Yes, I happened to glance over them once or twice.” 

 

“Then you should be able to see just how amazing he is!” Victor protested his case as he sat up in the bed, one hand holding the phone against his ear while the other ran through his bangs to detangle them, a task he soon gave up on when his fingers got caught in a terrible knot and pulled a few strands of hair from his scalp. With another sigh -- he seemed to be sighing a lot lately, hasn’t he? -- Victor flopped backwards again, bouncing a little from the impact but not caring much. 

 

“He’s just - he’s so-” The words to describe just the impact Yuuri had on him were difficult to come up with, a jumble of letters that clogged his mind, desperate to escape yet failing to form even the simplest of words. Silence loomed over as their conversation came to a halt, Chris giving Victor time to think his words over yet not realizing how difficult it was for the other. It took a long time before Victor was able to speak again, his voice but a whisper as if afraid of admitting something to himself. 

 

“He’s perfect, Chris.” Silence. Again. Silence was usually comforting, it gave Victor the necessary quiet he needed to focus, whether it be writing lyrics or humming random tunes. But now the silence was deafening. Overpowering. Making him anxious. 

 

Victor shifted uncomfortably on the hotel mattress, willing his friend to say something, anything. Well, maybe not  _ anything _ , he didn’t know what he’d do if Chris disapproved of his love escapade. Not like he would, of course, Victor knew this, yet he still couldn’t help feeling… Afraid? No, that word seemed too potent, too vicious. Rejected? Rejected seemed more along those lines yet not fitting the puzzle correctly. It didn’t matter, Victor couldn’t dwell on the thought for much longer before he heard Chris shout his name into the phone, startling him into reality. 

 

“Hm, yes? What?” Chris groaned on the other end of the line, obviously annoyed at this point with Victor’s fleeting attention. He could hear Chris mumble something under his breath, something along the lines of, “You’re helpless,” before he gave an actual response. 

 

“Victor… just be careful, okay? Yes, the kid has a phenomenal ass and a cute face and apparently a sexy singing voice but you always let your emotions run wild and get the best of you. I don’t want something to happen to you or that poor kid.” All Victor could do was pout with the words. His friend was supposed to help him find a way to meet Yuuri again, not take a hit at his emotional nature. He never even got the chance to rebuttal before Chris changed the subject, emitting a light hearted laugh to ease the mood. 

 

“Anyway, hurry up with your tour so you can come visit me and I can finally have some real fun. You don’t understand how boring my life is when the skating season ends.” Chris sighed on the other end of the line, the faint sound of some fabric rustling in the background reminding Victor of how late it was for his friend, who was most likely getting ready for bed. But that didn’t mean he was ready to hang up just yet.

 

“Plus, now that Katsuki’s out there isn’t much to look forward to for next season, the only good competition is gone. Such a shame what happened.” Victor’s lips pressed together into a thin line, only vaguely remembering the articles he’d read when it was publicly stated that Yuuri would be out next season due to an injury. He also remembered Chris calling the same day to cry about not being able to “watch that ass in action” which had been an interesting conversation to say the least. 

 

“Well, if I happen to magically find him again I’ll make sure to tell him you wish him well, omitting your reasons of course.” Victor let out a soft chuckle with his words, only to be cut short by Chris’ repeated chanting to get his attention again. 

 

“Wait wait wait wait, are you implying that you  _ didn’t _ get his number or have some way to contact him?” The only response Victor gave in return was silence. Pure, guilty silence. It’s not like he hadn’t wanted to get Yuuri’s phone number -- or even email if he had to -- he was just never given the chance to ask. 

 

“Victor always-getting-numbers-of-strangers-I-meet-while-walking-my-damn-dog Nikiforov-” 

 

“Chris, what even-” 

 

“Do not interrupt me.” A pout fell upon Victor’s lips at the words, but he at least respected his friend enough to shut his mouth and let him finish talking, even if he was confused as hell to the weird middle name combination he was given. 

 

“You’re telling me that you’re practically head over heels for this boy and you don’t even have a way to get back in touch with him? What happened after your duet that you didn’t ask? Or did he reject you? No he seems too nice for that…” A sigh bounced off the walls of Victor’s empty hotel room, causing Chris to stop as Victor took a moment to run his free hand over his face in despair, knowing he’d have to explain or Chris wouldn’t let him off the phone. 

 

“I wanted to, I really did but,” Victor paused in his explanation and chewed nervously on his lip, turning his head to lazily stare out the window at the city below to find some sort of comfort when all he felt was sadness. “Yakov called me just before I got the chance. Chewed me out for running off and being late to return and by the time he was through yelling at me the stage was empty and Yuuri was gone.” 

 

“You didn’t chase after him?” 

 

“I tried!” The more he spoke about his missed opportunity, the more Victor seemed to whine about it, pushing himself back into a sitting position. “But you know how fame works, Chris, one person spots you and you’re surrounded by ten more, only last night it was the entire bar. I didn’t have the heart to neglect them for my own wishes so I, you know, let him go.” 

 

“Victor,” he heard Chris begin on the other end of the line, “you’re in Japan for a few more days, right? I’m sure there’s even a small chance you’ll run into him again. Who knows, maybe he’ll even show up at one of your concerts or those VIP meet and greet, get your shit signed things.” With this, Victor perked up again, a new found hope flooding his heart and pumping through his veins. 

 

“You think so?” 

 

“Oh, you don’t even know how much the kid adores you. He’s been a fan for years from what I know.” All this new information made Victor’s heart swell and his smile grow. Yuuri, of fan of his? For years? That had to be the best news Victor ever received. 

 

On the inside, Victor was bouncing up and down and all around the room in excitement. In reality, he sat there on his hotel bed gaping like a fish out of water as he let the news sink in. A response never came from Victor, partially because he was too shell-shocked to come up with one, but the main reason had been the loud banging on the door of his hotel room that came just a few seconds after Chris had spoken. And the thunderous yelling coming from the other side. 

 

“Victor! You were supposed to meet me downstairs thirty minutes ago! If you’re not down there in the next ten then-” 

 

“Chris, I’m afraid I have to go now! Bye!” Victor was quick to hang up the call and throw his phone back onto the mattress, yelling out to his manager that he would be down in a few minutes as he jumped up and ran to the shower. It was times like now that he praised himself for learning how to be both quick and efficient because he knew that the longer he made Yakov wait the more grueling his day would turn out to be in the end. 

 

And today would be a long day indeed, a day full yearning for a boy he hadn’t even had a real conversation with. He was hopeless.

* * *

As it turns out, VIP meet and greets are a lot less fun when you’re mind and heart are set on something else at the moment. Or rather,  _ someone _ else. Don’t get this wrong, Victor adored meeting fans and taking pictures and accepting wonderfully crafted gifts his fans handed to him; he just wished a certain someone would magically show up and make the day a thousand times better than it already was. 

 

On a normal day where Victor wasn’t so hung up on a cute skater, these pre-concert meetings usually flew by in a blurry haze; however, today was different. It dragged on and there seemed to be an endless room of people to meet with. And not one of them happened to be who Victor wanted most at the moment. 

 

He did, however, come across a few memorable fans. There was one college student that had a tattoo dedicated to him in a very…  _ intimate  _ place to say the least. And one young couple had told him the story of how they met at a past concert of his two years ago and they were due to get married in a few months -- and that Victor was more than welcome to drop by and have some cake since he was to thank after all. But his favorite had to be a set of triplets no older than 6 or 7 years of age. They were rambunctious and energetic and absolutely the same as him at a young age, but their mother wasn’t too happy at the trouble they stirred up. Still, they were a bunch to remember. 

 

They were sweet too, having brought extra posters for him to sign for their uncle since he apparently couldn’t walk and “wasn’t too great at crowded areas like this anyway” according to the three. They did mention that he’d be there for the concert, which warmed Victor’s heart to think that a man who couldn’t walk would gladly leave the house and make the trip to see a concert. His fans really were the best. 

 

After the triplet’s mother came and rounded them up -- and apologized many times over for their energy despite Victor countering with his approval of them -- nothing else too exciting happened. He idly talked with some younger fans, took pictures with some more here and there, and overall enjoyed himself. 

 

He would’ve definitely enjoyed himself more if Yuuri had shown up -- he would blame Chris later for getting his hopes up. But soon there wasn’t time to dwell on his own lacking love life because dammit, he had a show to put on.

* * *

After the concert was over and done with Victor sat in his dressing room, cheeks flushed from the exertion of performing and his throat dry and scratchy from overuse. He didn’t mind of course, the thrill of performing always outweighing any consequences he may face hours later. This was the life he chose after all, and he never regretted making the decision to go along with it years ago. Now, after years of getting accustomed to the grueling fame and endless fans, Victor wasn’t able to imagine a life without either -- though a little less fame would be fine with him if it meant being able to walk down the street or go to the shopping center without being stopped every now and then. 

 

As Victor reflected back on everything that had changed in his life due to his career, he picked up the water bottle that sat on the desk and brought it up to his lips, tilting his head back to allow the cool liquid to slid down his throat and quench the burning sensation crawling up his esophagus. It felt nice, the cold fighting the heat in his throat, and before he knew it the bottle was more than half empty. Victor only pulled his lips away in order to catch his breath. 

 

It wasn’t a smart idea for Victor to down most of his only bottle of water in one sitting since he would most likely be sitting in the quiet room for at least another half hour -- he usually stayed hidden until the chaos outside died down and he could safely sneak out of the venue to head back to his chosen hotel. But Victor couldn’t care less. He never really has been good with decisions after all. 

 

Five, ten, fifteen more minutes passed and the bottle was now empty, tossed aside into the recycling bin because dammit Victor cared for the environment okay? Outside, the noise had quieted down and the only sound he could hear was the quiet hum of the air conditioning unit. Now, with some bit of hesitance -- because no matter how many shows he performed the unpredictable could still happen -- Victor stood up from where he sat in the room and strolled over to the door. 

 

The knob felt cold against the palm of his hand when he reached out to grab at it, slowly turning the golden sphere before pulling the door ajar just enough to get a peek outside. A glance to the left; no one. A glance to the right; still no one. A second glance to both sides just to be sure and it seemed that the coast was clear. So Victor opened the door just a few more inches before slipping into the hallway, making sure the door stayed quiet as it was pulled shut. 

 

With a sigh of relief, Victor walked down the length of corridor in search of an exit, only vaguely remembering the layout of the building from his tour earlier. He got lost every now and then, found himself walking past the same potted plant once or twice, but what finally made Victor stop his aimlessly wandering through the halls was the soft body he collided into after taking another random turn. It had startled him, yes, but evidently he was slightly taller than the other person, with broader shoulders and a stronger build. That’s what sent the stranger crashing towards the floor. 

 

Victor tried his best to help the stranger before they could collide with the floor, but he couldn’t help his reaction when his eyes landed on soft looking black hair and caught a glimpse of the light reflecting off of a pair of glasses. His body tensed up but his mind was shooting off all the alarm bells in his head, thinking that maybe, just maybe, the world decided to play nice for once and he didn’t have to chase after a dream after all. 

 

Once the initial shock was passed and Victor remembered how his muscular system worked, he bent down to help the other up from the floor, his tendency to ramble when he was nervous showing clear as ever. 

 

“I apologize, I wasn’t looking where I was going! I thought the halls would be clear by now and I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone. Literally. I’m so sorry-” The stranger looked up from the floor as Victor helped them stand back up, and only then did he realize that the world was cruel after all and loved to play with his heart. 

 

This wasn’t his Yuuri, Yuuri’s glasses were blue and the stranger’s were black. The eyes he was looking into were a bright green, not the soft warm brown color that captured his attention and then his heart. And there were no crutches around, and definitely no brace wrapped snuggly around the stranger’s leg when Victor took a quick glance to check. This wasn’t Yuuri. 

 

Nonetheless, regardless of his inner turmoil, Victor put on the best smile he could muster at the moment and pulled the other up to their feet, muttering out another apology for nearly bulldozing them into the ground. Then another clear difference between this stranger and his Yuuri made itself known; this stranger didn’t even speak English. At least, that’s what Victor could gather after the stranger started talking in high paced Japanese and pulling their phone out of their pocket. At least Victor could understand what  _ that _ meant. 

 

When the phone was offered to him, Victor gently took it and let the stranger press themselves almost uncomfortably close to his side, simply masking his disappointment with an award winning smile instead as he stared down into the lens. Thank god front camera lenses were invented or this would be an awkwardly long encounter. 

 

He took a few pictures for good measure, hoping that at least one would turn out to be of good enough quality for the other to choose, and even took an extra three just in case. It was always better to be safe than sorry, right? He was just taking the last one when he heard an almost metallic like sound echo down the halls. At least that’s the closest description he could come up with. It sounded vaguely like… 

 

In the top left corner of the screen, Victor barely caught the end of a pair of crutches disappearing around the corner and oh, how his heart skipped a beat. Crutches, the noise was crutches being used on a tile floor. 

 

Maybe he was acting a bit like a kid with a high school crush, and maybe when he tried to pass the phone back to its owner he was more than a little unprofessional but he couldn’t help it. He had to go find him. 

 

So he ran, turned the corner and tried to follow the already faded sounds of the crutches hitting the floor. Thankfully there was an exit right at the end of the hall or he would’ve definitely gotten lost on his quest. 

 

Almost bruising his shoulder in the process, Victor shoved his way past the heavy door and stepped outside, only to stop in his tracks when he saw no one in sight. Other than a young couple at the far end helping their son into the car, the lot was empty and void, much like his heart recently. 

 

With a heavy sigh and a broken spirit, Victor turned back to walk inside, his hand outstretched to grab the handle of the door when he heard it. Crutches on the concrete flooring. Victor never turned around so quickly in his life. 

 

And he was right there, a little closer than the couple with the kid but still rather far away but just the sight of his duet partner made Victor’s heart soar -- until he saw Yuuri’s head disappear into the car and his friend placing the crutches into the back seat. Then all he could do was watch. Watch as the same man from the karaoke bar -- Phichit if he remembered correctly -- got into the driver’s seat and smiled at Yuuri, and Yuuri smiled back as his friend and it hurt Victor’s heart because he missed being on the receiving end of that smile. 

 

He missed seeing the small hint of red in Yuuri’s eyes light up when his mouth twitched up in delight. Most of all, he missed his voice, the smooth silkiness that it was, and the person that provided it. But now he thought he may never get a chance to hear it again, because then the car was moving and he was losing sight. 

 

But at the last second, just before the car could drive out of sight, Victor found himself staring into the same warm brown eyes he fell in love with the previous night, and he got a glimpse of that same smile that quickly faded into an expression of shock. And for the second time in a matter of 24 hours, Victor felt his heart shatter into a million glass pieces, all because of one man. One man he couldn't seem to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I totally headcanon the triplets calling Yuuri “uncle Yuuri” because him and Yuuko are so close and it’s adorable okay) 
> 
> I want to clear something up just in case anyone may be confused. Yes, Chris is still a skater in this AU, and he becomes more relevant later on in the story. The only people that are not involved with skating in this AU are Victor, Yurio and Yakov (and most likely some of the Russian team but the only reason that it's still being determined is because their roles aren't very important to the story anyway; only Victor, Yurio, and Yakov are solidified in their alternative careers for now). 
> 
> If there are some other things you're curious about regarding information (or lack of) in this chapter, I'm almost 99% sure it'll get answered at some point in the story. You're always free to ask! But that doesn't mean I'll always give the answer away ;)
> 
> I hope that could clear up some confusion anyone may have! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this so far (I suffered through three weeks straight with an endless migraine while trying to at least start this chapter, it was TORTURE and put me off from writing for a bit to recover my apologies) and come back to read more! 
> 
> (This might also be the most boring chapter out of the entire story because Yuuri isn’t even in it really but it gets better I promise, I struggled so much with trying to make this chapter interesting and a bit longer but not much could be done sadly and this part was a bit too important to me to leave out so have a slightly shorter update. In all honesty, I don’t think these chapters will all be same length, some will probably be a lot longer than others and others lacking but I’m trying to have a more uniform word count haha) 
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on Tumblr, you can find me at [yt-anime-trash](https://yt-anime-trash.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> TRANSLATIONS:  
> "moya lyubov" = my loves  
> "Kak dela?" = How are you?  
> "Gde ty?" = Where are you?  
> "Vernis', tebe nuzhno otdokhnut'" = Come back, you need to rest  
> "No mne bylo veselo!" = But I was having fun!  
> "Khorosho ya vernus'" = Okay I’ll go back  
> "Potoropis'" = Hurry  
> NOTE: I apologize if you don't particularly like having to wait until the notes to see translations, I know I personally don't like having to scroll down every few lines to understand the dialogue but I figured since most of it was so close to the end it wouldn't be too bad. I'm not sure if I'll use foreign languages later in this story, that's a matter I'm still debating on but if you like a certain way of having foreign language included and is the easiest for you to read, by all means drop a comment with your input! I know it's impossible to please everyone but I want to hopefully keep the majority happy. 
> 
> Also, I just wanted to say I hope you enjoy this version so far, and if you did (or even if you didn't) drop me a comment with your thoughts or even suggestions! I have a lot of it planned already but would love to see if anyone has good ideas they’d like to see because I get blocked so easily, I'm not even joking. Now, if you read the one shot I did say I'd post the first two chapters together but I felt bad for taking so long so while I edit the second chapter -- it's all written out already just need to edit it -- I decided to post this. I am posting the second chapter around the same time tomorrow but not all updates will be back to back. This is only because the one shot and this first chapter are so similar I didn't want anyone getting upset because the content was so similar. 
> 
> If you wanted to hit me up on tumblr or just plain stalk me you can find me at [yt-anime-trash](https://yt-anime-trash.tumblr.com/) I'm not a themed blog but it tends to be filled with YOI like 90% of the time anyway haha (I need more people to talk to please I'm lonely and my crops are dying)
> 
> I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the day!!! And I hope you come back for more <3


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